Grate fastening



May 31, 1949. H. M. SIMON 2,471,659

GRA'I'E FASTENING Filed Oct. 12; 1945 Patented May 31,1949

GRATE FASTENING Harolde M. Simon, Utica, N. Y., assignor to Utica Radiator Corporation, Utica, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application October 12, 1945, Serial No. 621,923

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to grate fastening means of the revolving grate type used with boilers, furnaces, fire boxes, and other combustible units.

An important object of the invention is to provide simple, efiicient and economical means for locking the grate bars and their bearings or supports in proper horizontal and vertical positions.

A further object consists in providing releasable retaining means for positively securing or looking a grate bar in its operative position so that the grate bar may be readily installed or removed.

Another object consists in revolvably and releasably mounting the grate bar on a suitable support, and in which the grate bar is insertable in the support in a reverse or upside-down position and is rotated to its operative position. A retainer block movable longitudinally into and out of the support is arranged to maintain the grate ba in its operative position. The grate bar is provided with stop means movable in the path of the retainer block when the grate bar is rotated to its operative position for the purpose of preventing withdrawal of the retainer block from the support. to carry the stop means away from the retainer block permits the withdrawal of the retainer block from the support so that the grate bar may also be removed therefrom. I

Further object comprehends the provision of a support for the grate bar and the retainer block. The support has spaced recesses, constituting seats for receiving complementary lugs on the retainer block, the walls of the seats and the sides of the complementary lugs being inclined so that when the parts are set up, the grate bar is firmly secured to the support and is prevented from moving vertically or jumping up when a clinker or the like is caught between two successive grates.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying claims and drawings.

Referring to the drawings in which is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a furnace showing my improved grate bar mounted thereon.

Figure 2 is a detailed plan view of one end'of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 33 of Figure. 1.

Figure 4 is a detailed perspectiveview of the side of 't'he furnace showingthe grat barin its Movement of the grate bar invertedfor upside-down position, and the retainer block prior to the assembling of the parts.

Figure 5 is a detailed diagrammatic view showing the grate bar in its inverted position relative to the support, and

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 5, showing the grate bar rotated to its operative position.

-Referring to the drawings in which like numerals indicate like parts in the several views, Ill designates the spaced sides of a furnace or ash pit wall. A support H (Fig. 4) is suitably fastened to or integrally formed on the inner wall of each of the sides It and is preferably provided with a semicircular bearing surface [2 in the lower portion thereof and has a vertical opening or recess l3 extending centrally between the upper side arms M of the support. Each of the arms M is formed with a similarly shaped recess 15 having the upper wall thereof inclined as at [6, for a purpose which will subsequently be described. A grate bar I! is provided with laterally projecting space fingers or teeth I8 and has extending from each end thereof a trunnion l9 which preferably is of a cylindrical shape and of such size as to be inserted into the support -|I through the opening l3 so as to rest on the curve bearing surface 12. Each end finger l8 of the grate bar has extending outwardly there from a curve projection 20 adjacent the trunnion [9 (Fig. 5) that constitutes a stop means, the function of which will later be described. A retainer block or member 21 is formed with a central semicircular bearing surface 22 of substantially the same diameter as the trunnion l9 and with a centrally disposed vertical ing 23 arranged to fit within the opening l3 between the arms M of the support II. The retainer block 2| also has the spaced side lugs 24 provided with inclined sides 25 arranged to snugly fit within the recesses l5 and engage the sides I6 when the parts are set up. The bottom of each of the grate bars adjacent one side thereof has aIdepending arm 26 to which is suitably connected the grate linkage 21 (Fig. 1), such as by the pin 2a for simultaneously rocking the grates.

As shownin Figure 4,'the grate bar I! is in its inverted or upside down position so as to be initially mounted on the support I! by inserting the trunnion 19 into the opening [3 so that the trunnion willengage the bearing surface l2. The retainer block 2| is now slidably mountedon the trunnion l9 and moved longitudinally into the support so that the vertical lug 23 fits within and closes the opening l3 above the trunnion l9 and the side lugs 24xsnugly'engaged their complementary recesses or seats l5 and the inclined sides 25 contact with the inclined sides l6 (Fig. 3). The grate bar I! is then rotated through an angle of 180 to its operative horizontal position (Fig. 2) and during this movement the stop means 20 is moved in the path or in front of the retainer book 2| so as to prevent the withdrawal of the retainer 'block from the support l. The parts are now firmly locked in their assembled or operative position. The trunnions I9 are of such length that the stop means 20 is spaced from the adjacent wall of thesupport H but not sufiiciently to permit the withdrawal of the retainer block 20. When it is desired to remove the grate bar I I from the support the grate linkage is disconnected from the arm 26 and the grate bar I? rotated from its normal or operative position, through an angle of 180 to the position shown in Figure 5. This will result in the curve stop projection 20 being moved from .in front -of the retainer block 2| so as to allow the lateral withdrawal of the block -2! from the support and the subsequent removal of the trunnion l9 through the opening 13.

The trunnion I9 may be vertically offset relative to the grate bar 11 and extends outwardly from the-adjacent end fingers I8 -so that when the grate is in its normal operative position'substantially half the diameter of the trunnion 49 'is below the lower surface of the grate .bar. Any number of .grate bars may be disposed transversely of the side walls H) of the furnace so as to ibe vremovably -mounted in suitable space sup- :ports H carried between the side walls, and it'hesergrate bars maybe operatively connected :for simultaneous movement through suitable linkage connected to the depending arm 26.

Inthe event clinkers should be caught between two successive grates I? and a rocking movement impartedto-the grates, the trunnions I9 carried by the supports l l are prevented from moving vertically or jumping up 'inthe supports due to the fact'that'the upwardforce imparted to each trunnion 19 is absorbed through the contact of the inclined sides 25 of the 'lugs 24 with the inclined sides I6 of the support so :as to substantially reduce this force and prevent objectionable strain'being transferred to the lugs on the retrainer block 2| In other words, the vertical "force-exerted due to the principle of the inclined plane employed, is broken up into "component forces through the inclination of the sides of the block 2| and the inclined Walls f the recesses P with the result that'the effect -of this force is greatly reduced, so that'the lugs -on*-the block 24 may be kept'at a safe minimum as to size without in any way impairing the eflicient operation of the parts. This feature is highly desirable both from a manufacturing and design viewpoint.

It is to be understood that the form of the invention .shown and described is merely illustrative of a preferred embodiment and that such changes may be made as comes within the purview of oneskilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a grate bar, a support for said grate bar, said grate bar being insertable in-the-support in areverse position and rotatable to its operative position, and retaining means movablelongitudinally into and out of the support 'forreleasably securing the grate bar to the support, said grate bar having stop means mov- '4 able in the path of the retaining means when the grate bar is rotated to its operative position to prevent removal of the retaining means from the support.

2. In combination with a grate bar having a trunnion, a stop projecting from said grate bar, a grate bar support having a trunnion seat and recesses constituting lug seats, said grate bar being insertable inthe support in a reverse position and rotated to its operative position, and a retaining block having lugs movable longitudinally into and out of engagement with the lug seats on said support to prevent vertical displacement of the block, said-grate bar when rotated to its operative position-moving said stop in the path of the retaining block to prevent the removal of the latter from the support.

3. In combination with a grate bar having a trunnion, a support for the trunnion, said grate bar being insertable in the support in a reverse position and rotatable to its operative position,

said support having spaced recesses constituting lug seats, a retainer block'for releasably securing the grate bar to the support, saidretainer'block having spaced :lugs arranged to be moved into and out of said lugseats, said grate bar adjacent the trunnion having outwardly extending stop means'movable in the path of "the retainer block when the grate bar is rotated to its operative positionto prevent removal of the retainer block from the support, said stop means when moved away from theretainerblock allowing the latter to be withdrawn from the support.

4. 1m combination with a grate bar having a trunnion, a stop projecting from said grate bar adjacent the trunnion, a grate bar support having atrunnion'seat and-a recess ateach side of the trunnion seat, and a retainer block movable longitudinally into and out of the support, said block having a central lug and side lugs, said central lug arranged to extend into the support above the trunnion seat and said side lugs arranged to fit into the recesses when the parts are set up, said grate bar when turned to its operative position moving thestop in the-path of the retainer block to prevent removal of the'latter from the support, said stop when moved away from the retainer blockallowingthe sameto be withdrawn from the support.

5. In combination with a grate bar having a trunnion, a stop projecting from said .grate bar adjacent the trunnion, a grate bar support having a trunnion seat,'and a recessat each sideof the trunnion seatccons'tituting lugseats, each of said lug seats .having an'inclined upper wall, and a retainer block movable longitudinally into-and out of'the support, said block "havinga central lug and side lugs, said central lug arranged to extend intothe supportabove the'trunnion seat, and each of said side lugs having inclined upper surfaces arranged to fit in the lug seatsand engage the inclined sides thereof When the parts are set up,said grate'bar when turned to its operative position moving the *stop in the path-of the retainer block to preventithe removal of the latter from said support,. said stop when moved away from the-retainer blockallowing the same vto be withdrawn'from' the support.

6. The combination of a grate bar having a trunnion with a portion extended below the surface of said bar, a stop projecting from the 'endxof said zbaradjacent said. trunnion, a grate bar support having atrunnion seat and a recess constituting a :lugseatsat 'eachside ofsaid trunnion seat, and ;a :trunn-ion retaining *bloc'k engaging said trunnion and having lugs to engage the lug seats on said grate bar support to prevent vertical displacement of the block, said grate bar being rotatable in said support to move the stop into and out of the path of said retaining block.

7. A trunnion support for grate bars comprising a fixed member having a trunnion seat and a recess constituting a lug seat at each side of the trunnion seat, a trunnion retaining block longitudinally insertable in said fixed member and having a trunnion engagement seat, and a lug on each side of said trunnion seat to engage 2, lug seat on said fixed member to prevent vertical displacement of the block.

8. A trunnion support for grate bars comprisin a fixed member having a trunnion seat and a recess on each side of said trunnion seat forming a lug seat, the upper wall of each recess being inclined, a trunnion retaining block movable 1ongitudinally relative to said fixed member and having a trunnion engaging seat and 2, lug on each side of said trunnion seat for engaging the lug seats on said fixed member, each of said lugs having its supper surfaces inclined to engage the inclined wall of the adjacent recess in order to prevent vertical displacement of the block.

HAROLDE M. SIMON.

No references cited. 

